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Former Everton hero Wayne Rooney is a contender to become the Blues’ new manager if Frank Lampard is sacked, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Lampard on the way out?

On Tuesday night, Everton fell to an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at home to Brighton in the Premier League, as they get dragged further into a relegation battle.

It proved to be the point of no return for Lampard, who is surely close to being relieved of his duties as manager after an increasingly poor spell in charge.

And whether Frank is sacked today or not, Farhad Moshiri is reportedly already searching to immediately bring in a replacement…

The Latest: Rooney in contention

According to The Express, Rooney has emerged as a ‘leading contender’ to replace his former England teammate Lampard at Goodison.

The 37-year-old is currently the manager of DC United in the MLS but he could be ‘fond of the idea’ of returning to the club where he started out as a player.

The Verdict: Would be a popular appointment

There would be a risk element to bringing in Rooney, who likes to use a 4-2-3-1 system, as Lampard’s replacement, given his lack of experience, but it is a decision that would likely go down well with supporters.

[freshpress-quiz id=“418944″]

Granted, he blotted his copybook by joining Manchester United back in 2004 but fans have generally forgiven him now, especially after he returned for a second spell at Everton.

Mauricio Pochettino is also mentioned in the report and could be a safer bet, although Rooney would connect with the Goodison faithful and is arguably a more exciting option with a bright future in management, having been praised by The Second Tier podcast for doing a ‘fantastic’ job at Derby County.

Chelsea are targeting reinforcements this January and could move for 2022 World Cup star Randal Kolo Muani in order to bolster the offensive front ahead of a pivotal period of football for the distinguished football club.

With new ownership headed by Todd Boehly earlier last year, and the new managerial appointment of Graham Potter in the maiden stages of the current campaign, the fortunes of the defeated finalists in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last season were supposed to be far brighter.

Having spent roughly £260m in the summer, Chelsea fans will be dismayed at finding the Blues tenth in the Premier League, ten points adrift of the top four, and knocked out of both domestic competitions by the formidable Manchester City.

And now, ESPN claim that the Blues are set to rival Manchester United for the signing of Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt, with the dynamic forward impressing for club and country over the past few years.

However, with the Frenchman having signed from Nantes on a free transfer last summer, the report continues to state that his German Bundesliga outfit would not grant a departure for anything less than €90m (£79m).

The news came just days before the Blue verbally agreed to sign Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid with the Portuguese potentially able to strike up an exciting partnership should Kolo Muani also walk through the door this month.

Big Auba upgrade

The 24-year-old Kolo Muani has been nothing short of sublime for his outfit since making the switch from his homeland to Germany, having made 23 appearances and scored eight goals and registered 11 assists.

His exploits earned him a place in France’s World Cup squad, where he impressed in his utility role, making three appearances and recording an average rating of 7.03, as per Sofascore, including a 7.2 showing against Argentina in the 3-3 finale, which Les Bleus ultimately lost on penalties.

As per FBref, the forward ranks within the top 4% of positional peers across Europe’s top leagues for rate of assists across the past year, and also in the top 5% for dribbles completed; effectively, on top of his talismanic aura, he would knit the departments of the field together, providing creative ingenuity and different dimensions to kick-start the spluttering Chelsea attack.

Should Chelsea succeed in clinching a deal for his signature, it would represent a marked upgrade on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has not found his golden touch in front of goal in Blue colours after joining the club from FC Barcelona in the summer.

Having scored only three goals and tallied up just one assist across his 15 appearances for Chelsea, the 33-year-0ld Gabonese striker is slowly losing time to stage a resounding comeback.

Compared to the French forward, the veteran attacker has had a poor year, ranking in the worst 51% for assists, and the worst 83% for dribbles, proving that Kolo Muani would be a far more well-rounded player, a certified upgrade up top for Potter and co.

Journalist Zach Lowy hailed the phenom as a “top-class talent” following his performance in the World Cup final, and that talent could be the catalyst for positive impact at Stamford Bridge, and with the Blues’ ambitions flying high, they must act accordingly to bring him to west London.

Glasgow Rangers are yet to make their first senior addition to their squad during Michael Beale’s first transfer window in charge of the Ibrox giants.

The English head coach replaced Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the break for the 2022 World Cup break and this month is his first opportunity to bring in his own players.

Sky Sports recently reported that the Light Blues are ‘leading’ the race to sign attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell on a permanent deal from Championship side Norwich and he could be Beale’s first addition.

However, the Canaries gem may not be the only signing of the month for the Gers as they are also reportedly one of a number of teams in Europe interested in a deal to sign Romanian youth international Alexi Pitu from FCV Farul.

Beale could now form an exciting pairing at the top end of the pitch by signing the 20-year-old gem and pairing him with his fellow countryman Ianis Hagi.

The pair trained, and played once, together when they were at Viitorul Constanta and Pitu recently responded to a question asking if reuniting with the Gers gem would interest him by saying:

“Yes I would very much love to play with Ianis again, but first I want to win the title with Farul Constanta.

“I focus on football, I do my training and in the matches, I try to give my best.

“I understand the interest in playing with Ianis at Rangers and of course, it would be very nice.”

Rangers must now convince Pitu to ditch his current club in favour of a move to Ibrox as his form this season indicates that he could be an excellent signing for the Gers.

The gem, who has been described as a “playmaker” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced five goals and five assists in 19 league starts for Constanta, which means that the forward has contributed with a goal contribution more than once in every two matches.

Hagi, meanwhile, is due to return from injury this month and has already proven himself in a Light Blues shirt, with 15 goals and 21 assists in 85 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Both players can play anywhere across the attack and this means that Beale could pair them together in a multitude of ways, with one out wide and the other in the number 10 role, or both of them lining up on the flanks to run at teams and cause them problems.

Therefore, the head coach could seal an exciting, Romanian, duo for the Gers in the second half of the season by signing Pitu to play alongside Hagi and deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has questioned the rumoured Leeds United decision to sell Charlie Cresswell amid links to Diogo Monteiro.

What’s the word?

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Whites defender – who is currently on loan at Millwall – could be sold in January, with a permanent exit a ‘possibility’.

Amid all that, The Athletic report that Portuguese centre-back Monteiro is being targeted by the club and are even ‘lining up a bid’ for the teenager.

With these latest rumours in mind, McGilligan has warned that the club may come to regret selling Cresswell but accepted that it would make sense if a new young defender was coming in.

While talking on the One Leeds Fan Channel, he said: “There’s rumours of Leeds United going out and singing a Portuguese international, I think he’s around about 18 years old.

“Loads of discussion at the minute about Charlie Cresswell leaving on a permanent. That would make sense if this lad was to come in from the Portuguese setup. We need to keep an eye on that one.

“Cresswell going out, I’m not really 100% sure that’s the right move, but maybe the club don’t see him as a first-team player. I think they’ll regret that, to be honest with you.”

One in, one out…

Cresswell’s start to life on loan at Millwall started brightly as he scored twice on debut but recently he has struggled for game time, sitting on the bench for the last five league games.

If he isn’t able to prove himself in the Championship, it’s easy to see why Leeds might have some revelations about him stepping up to the Premier League but he is still only 20 years old and has plenty of time to develop and improve.

Yet to even turn 18 (his birthday is later this month), it remains unclear if Monteiro would be an upgrade as he has only ever played seven senior games for Swiss outfit Servette FC.

However, he is unlikely to come into the starting team immediately but if the club feel as though he has greater potential than Cresswell in the long term, it could make sense to cash in on the Englishman now to make way for Monteiro.

Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Solly March and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s interest in the player this month.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, both Eddie Howe and sporting director Dan Ashworth are huge admirers of the Brighton and Hove Albion winger.

Bailey claimed on the Talking Transfers podcast:

“In terms of one of their homegrown talents, Solly March. He has 18 months left on his deal. He is arguably Roberto De Zerbi’s favourite player. He has gone up a level. Brighton are aware of this, they know there is some interest. Dan Ashworth likes him at Newcastle, Eddie Howe loves him, he’s that sort of character isn’t he, he’s exactly the sort of player you could see under Eddie Howe. And he’s also on the radar of Gareth Southgate.”

Imagine him & Isak

Howe will be thrilled with the phenomenal form his Newcastle team has displayed over the campaign so far and will surely be hoping that they can continue to dominate over the second half of the season.

The Magpies are currently third in the Premier League table after losing just one game so far over 19 outings and also recently qualified for the Carabao Cup semi-finals where they will face Southampton to fight for their place in the final at Wembley next month.

Alongside the opportunity of a trophy this season, Howe will be hoping to turn the St James’ Park faithful’s dreams into a reality by qualifying for the Champions League too at the end of the campaign and if they can continue to perform at the level they have so far, it is something they will be able to achieve comfortably.

The Tyneside club could now take the golden opportunity to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window to give the team the final push in bringing European football and a trophy to St James’ Park.

The signing of March would certainly add some depth and quality to the attacking threat in the team as the £40k-per-week winger is currently in great form for Brighton.

Over 18 Premier League appearances, the Brighton ace – who was hailed “exceptional” by Ryan Taylor – has scored four goals and registered four assists. That just so happens to be a career-best haul in both metrics for the talented flanker.

Furthermore, he created six big chances this term, as well as averaging 2.1 shots on goal, 1.4 key passes and 1.3 successful dribbles per match. His work ethic is also impressive with March’s defensive stats weighing up well having made 1.4 tackles, 1.1 clearances, and won 5.5 duels per game.

With that in mind, Howe could well form a fantastic attacking partnership between March and striker Alexander Isak

Indeed, the wide-forward has proven over this campaign that not only is he capable of finding the back of the net himself, but he is consistent in providing opportunities for his teammates, something that will undoubtedly benefit Newcastle’s Swedish phenomenon.

He has returned from injury with a bang of late, scoring in the recent win over Fulham and could do with some extra help in behind.

He’d certainly get that from March who has proven himself to be extremely creative while capable of winning the ball back in dangerous positions. Thus, it could make the pair a combined nightmare for defenders.

If the powerbrokers at St James’ Park could acquire the services of the Seagulls attacker this month it would be a major coup for the club and could be the perfect addition to make this Newcastle team even more difficult to play against over the remainder of the season.

Journalist for The Express & Star, Liam Keen has claimed that Wolverhampton Wanderers would have to sell a striker in order to sign a new one.

The Lowdown: Talk of a new striker

TalkSport man Alex Crook claimed that Julen Lopetegui’s side had ‘interest’ in signing Coventry City’s Viktor Gyokeres when speaking to GiveMeSport earlier this month.

The Premier League side did sign Matheus Cunha on a loan deal before the January window opened on loan, who operates as a forward but can play across the front line on either wing.

Cunha has made six appearances in all competitions so far in a Wolves shirt, producing an assist in their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Nottingham Forest.

The Latest: Sell to buy stance

Keen believes that the club would have to sell one of their strikers which likely won’t happen when speaking on the Express & Star Podcast. His verdict was that the Old Gold sees Cunha as their main man up front to get them the goals.

He stated: “I still stick by what we’ve been saying recently, signing a striker is not the Wolves’ priority right now.

“The first thing to say to that is they’ve signed Matheus Cunha. They see him as the man whether you think he’s a number nine or not, I think that’s up for debate.

“But they see him as the man who comes in on a £43 million record signing, as someone who has been signed to score the goals. Obviously it’s not happened yet, but that’s the man they’re after, to find the back of the net.

“The only way they can really bring a striker in now is if someone else leaves, now that does seem unlikely at this point as well.”

The Verdict: Cunha can offer something

We believe that Cunha can add creativity to a Wolves side that is really lacking in goals, the Old Gold are the Premier League’s lowest goal scorers with 12.

Former Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur player Paolo Tramezzani has raved about the Brazilian in the past as ‘extraordinary’ and also said he has ‘great desire’ when speaking to FC Inter News. Traits that could’ve led Lopetegui to get him through the door before the window even opened.

However, getting goals is not where his strengths lay on the pitch, having said that he has marginally better stats than his teammate Raul Jimenez.

Cunha averages 0.14 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes in the last year, whilst the Mexican’s is ever so slightly less with a tally of 0.13.

Wolves’ January signing has the ability to create and is statistically one of the best in Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the top 6% for assists and the top 12% for shot-creating actions.

We believe that if Lopetegui can get a tune out of one of the other Wolves forwards, then Cunha could be a real creative force for the Old Gold.

Aston Villa have been urged to make a surprise transfer bid for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, who has found himself on the periphery of the Premier League table-toppers’ season this year.

According to CBS Sports reporter James Benge (via talkSPORT) the Gunner hierarchy are considering offloading the 25-year-old Tierney amid recent reports that the outfit are looking to home in on prodigious Real Valladolid talent Ivan Fresneda.

And now, speaking to Caught Offside, Stan Collymore has remarked that Unai Emery’s Villa could offer the perfect platform to rekindle his best form after indeed falling out of favour following the £32m summer signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.

Collymore said: “If it is true that the Gunners want to offload him, I really hope Aston Villa go in for him.

“It would make sense as well because I don’t think Lucas Digne is going to be there much longer and although the Frenchman has done alright since he joined, Tierney is definitely an upgrade.”

Bye-bye Digne

While the Villans have recently completed the signing of left-back Alex Moreno from Real Betis for £13.2m, the introduction of a further talented option would only fortify the club’s resolve to a new level, with Emery surely devising an ambitious plot to clinch his fifth piece of European silverware with his new Premier League outfit.

While the Claret & Blue currently wield Lucas Digne within the ranks, the Frenchman might not forge a lengthy future in the Midlands with Emery now at the wheel.

Digne has missed several matches due to injury this term and could face an uncertain future following the arrival of Moreno and the recent Aston Villa links to Tierney, alluding to Emery’s desire to further bolster the position.

Signed from Scottish giants Celtic in 2019 for £25m, Tierney initially slotted right into Mikel Arteta’s system and has made 111 appearances for the North London club to date, although his progress has been consistently blighted by recurring knee problems.

Over the course of the high-flying Gunners’ current campaign, Tierney has made 24 appearances across all competitions, although he has only made four starts in the English top-flight despite first-choice option Zinchenko’s injury several months ago that ruled him out of contention for a total of seven matches in the league alone.

And with a regular starting berth unlikely to materialise over the coming seasons at the resurgent Emirates Stadium, Tierney might be prudent to put faith in the Spaniard Emery’s vision and forge ahead with a transfer, likely competing with Moreno for regular minutes with a club showing all of the early promise of an outfit on the up.

As per FBref, the 35-cap Scotsman ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive passes and the top 16% for total passes attempted, which highlights the impact he could make on the efficacy of Villa’s transitional play, indeed a major component of Emery’s counter-pressing system, placing the onus on structural discipline and swift progression when the opportunity arises.

Tierney can indeed offer a valuable additional dimension from this regard, with his “unique” skill set, as once remarked by former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, leaving Villan technical director Johan Lange to reap the rewards of landing another tool to provide the spark for success.

While there may still be lingering hope among Manchester United supporters that the club will complete a late surprise move before deadline day tomorrow, the primary focus for the Red Devils is already likely to be on the summer transfer window, with a new centre-forward addition a particular priority.

Although the recent loan capture of Burnley’s Wout Weghorst is already beginning to bear fruit, with the Dutchman netting his first goal for the club last week, that temporary deal appears a mere short-term fix, with ESPN’s Mark Ogden revealing earlier this month the club have a list of more long-term targets for the summer.

One of those to have been named is Red Bull Salzburg starlet Benjamin Sesko, with reports having first emerged last summer that the Slovenian hotshot was a possible option for the Red Devils, amid the continued uncertainty over Cristiano Ronaldo’s future.

With the latter having since departed, and with Anthony Martial proving wholly unreliable due to his injury woes, it does appear that a new number nine is something of a necessity if Erik ten Hag is to truly complete his forward line ahead of next season.

Any hopes of landing Sesko were dealt a blow after the 19-year-old sealed a £20m move to RB Leipzig ahead of this summer, but as per Ogden’s report, the Bundesliga club could be open to an immediate sale if they can receive an instant profit on the teenager.

Alex Crook of talkSPORT has now corroborated such claims, with the transfer insider revealing that the 6 foot 5 colossus is a player on whom the Old Trafford outfit have been keeping a close eye in recent times.

The respected source told GIVEMESPORT : “Sesko is an interesting one because I know that they (Man United) have been really impressed with him whenever they’ve watched him.”

With The Athletic previously revealing that United had missed the chance to land the youngster for just £2.5m back in 2019, the Premier League giants can atone for that error by finally getting the “complete forward” – as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig – through the door sooner rather than later.

With 18-goal star Marcus Rashford currently thriving on the left flank, and with £86m addition Antony beginning to show signs of life on the opposite side, it does appear that a new striker could well be the final piece of the jigsaw as far as Ten Hag’s attack is concerned.

In Sesko, the Dutchman would be able to recruit an asset who has been in sparkling form in his embryonic senior career to date, with the highly-rated “machine man” – as described by Kulig – having scored seven goals and laid on three assists in 25 games so far this season.

That follows a standout 2021/22 campaign for the towering gem as he provided 18 goal involvements in 37 games across all fronts for the Austrian outfit, having previously bagged 22 goals and seven assists in just 44 games while on loan at FC Liefering in the second tier.

That explosive start to life at first-team level has earned the 17-cap monster comparisons to another man with Salzburg connections in Erling Haaland, with Sesko himself having spoken out about that apparent likeness.

The Slovenian said: “Such comparisons motivate me and give me energy. They do not represent pressure. I will listen and learn so I can be even better than he is. My team-mates at the club tell me that Haaland and I are very similar, especially in terms of speed. Most of them even tell me that I’m better than him!”

Such glowing praise should well have juices flowing back at the Theatre of Dreams, with the former Domzale ace seemingly the long-term centre-forward solution for which the Red Devils have been yearning.

Glasgow Rangers are flying at the minute, winning nine out of ten matches under Michael Beale as the Ibrox giants seek to embark on a new era under the Englishman.

The Premiership crown may look out of touch considering the nine-point deficit to their Glasgow arch-rivals at the top of the table.

However, with a League Cup final to come and a chance to retain the Scottish Cup, Beale will no doubt be targeting two trophies over the coming months.

The Light Blues’ last match, a 3-0 win against Hearts in midweek was arguably their finest performance under the 42-year-old, and it looks as though the squad are buying into his methods and tactical tweaks.

A home clash against Ross County awaits this afternoon, and we at Football FanCast predict the starting XI that Beale will select to take to the field at Ibrox later today…

Rangers predicted XI – McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Barisic; Lundstram, Kamara; Cantwell, Tillman, Kent; Morelos.

The goalkeeping position has been one of constant change this season, with the baton being passed between Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin on a regular basis. Today, the former will likely retain his position following his clean sheet against Hearts.

The back four will also remain unchanged. James Tavernier and Borna Barisic take up their usual roles on the right and left of defence respectively, with Connor Goldson and Ben Davies forming a solid defensive duo. The latter impressed against Hearts, making four clearances and three interceptions, and he now looks up to speed at Ibrox.

The midfield axis will consist of John Lundstram and a much-improved Glen Kamara, who excelled in midweek. The midfielder made two key passes, had a 92% pass success rate and took 71 touches as Beale has managed to rejuvenate the player, who also gave a strong performance against St Johnstone last week.

Ryan Kent retains his place on the left wing, although Fashion Sakala could drop to the bench, with the £8.3k-per-week gem vacating his attacking midfield slot to Malik Tillman. This will allow January signing Todd Cantwell to come back into the starting line-up on the right-hand side.

The 24-year-old was “superb” against Hearts according to Jordan Campbell – fair praise given that he completed 18 passes in just 25 minutes on the field – and it will be interesting to see how he builds on that showing today.

Fresh from a two-goal salvo and a stunning performance in midweek, Alfredo Morelos keeps his place today, and Beale will be hoping that the 26-year-old can maintain this recent fine form, with four goals in his last three matches.

The challenge for Rangers is to put in a performance as convincing as they did at Tynecastle three days ago, while adding a few goals to go along with it.

Aston Villa were not busy during the recent January transfer window as Johan Lange and Unai Emery only opted to make two additions to the side.

The Villans brought in Jhon Duran and Alex Moreno, from Chicago Fire and Real Betis respectively, and allowed striker Danny Ings to leave to join Premier League rivals West Ham United.

Transfers are not the only way the club can improve their squad, however, as the academy system in place at Villa have produced some excellent prospects – including the likes of Jack Grealish, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Jacob Ramsey in recent years.

One player who Emery could look to unearth from the youth side in the future is 17-year-old centre-forward Rory Wilson, formerly of Rangers, as the gem has been in fine form since joining the academy set-up.

The teenager, who scored a staggering 49 goals at youth level in the 2021/22 campaign, could be the long-term heir to Ollie Watkins’ position in the side.

Watkins, 27, will be in his 30s by the time Wilson is in his 20s and the Scottish marksman could be the natural successor to the England international, who has been Villa’s go-to man for goals in recent seasons.

He was the club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League in the 2021/22 and 20/21 campaigns and has scored three times in his last six league outings for the club this term.

Wilson’s stunning record in the academy set-up indicates that the ex-Gers dynamo could be the man to take Watkins’ place if he can continue to develop and then adapt to first-team football.

The 17-year-old, who reporter Jonty Colman hailed as a “goal machine”, was once described as being “obsessed with becoming the best” by James Grady – one of his coaches at international level – something that suggests the young forward has the drive required to keep progressing. 

His 49 goals in 2021/22 have been followed up with seven stikes in seven matches for Villa’s U18 team this season, whilst the attacker has also bagged 12 goals in 13 games for Scotland’s U17s.

Wilson, who only turned 17 last month, has proven himself to be a prolific scorer at club and international level and his magnificent form in the penalty area indicates that the youngster is a promising prospect who could make the senior squad in the future if he continues to improve.

Therefore, Emery could unearth Watkins’ long-term heir at Aston Villa by working with the young Scot to help him fulfil his potential in the coming years.